Method and mechanism for knitting hosiery



April 13, 1954 A. P. GRAENZ 2,674,864

METHOD AND MECHANISM FOR KNITTING HOSIERY Filed April 4, 1951 6 Sheets-Sheet l IN VEN TOR. A/fr e a P Graze/72 BY 2 ATTOR/VEVJ April 13, 1954 'A. P. GRAENZ 2,674,864 METHOD AND MECHANISM FOR KNITTING HOSIERY Filed April 4, 1951 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS April 13, 1954 Filed April 4, 1951 A. P. GRAENZ METHOD AND MECHANISM FOR KNITTING HOSIERY 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYJ April 13, 1954 A. P. GRAENZ METHOD AND MECHANISM FOR KNITTING HOSIERY Filed April 4. 1951 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 ATTORNEYS April 13, 1954 I A. P. GRAENZ 2,674,864

METHOD AND MECHANISM FOR KNITTING HOSIERY Filed April 4, 1951 I 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. A/f/"eo P raenz BY fla m, y

April 13, 1954 A. P. GRAENZ METHOD AND MECHANISM FOR KNITTING HOSIERY 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed April 4, 1951 ay J INVENTOR. A/frea B 6/"06/72 BY I647,

ATTORNE m Patented Apr. 13, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC METHOD AND MECHANISM FOR KNITTING HOSIERY Alfred P. Graenz, Southampton, Pa. Application April 4, 1951, Serial No. 219,192

7 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to a novel and improved method for making a knitted fabric, together with a mechanism which may be used in the practice of the method and relates more particularly to a method and apparatus for knitting fabric for full-fashioned hosiery.

The present invention provides a method and mechanism for knitting the fabric for fullfashioned hosiery wherein the courses and wales forming portions of the fabric are knit with non-run loops and plain loops with the selvage edges of such portions of the fabric being widened or narrowed as required. Thus, the present invention makes it possible to knit the entire fabric including such portions for a complete stocking blank on a single knitting without the neces sity for a transfer operation.

The various objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent and best understood from the following description and the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the fabric for a fullfashioned stocking knit in accordance with the method of the present invention, and on mechanism embodying the present invention;

Figs. 2a to 2h, inclusive, are diagrammatic views in the form of sections through the sinker head and associated mechanism and illustrating successive steps in knitting portions of the fabric of the stocking blank shown in Fig. 1;

Figs. 3a to 3h, inclusive, are diagrammatic views in the form of sections through the sinker head and associated mechanism and illustrating successive steps in knitting other portions of the fabric of the stocking blanks shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the fabric of the stocking blank shown in Fig. 1 showing the narrowing points positioned behind the needles on which the fabric is being knit and the locking points in operating position;

Fig. 4a is a diagrammatic plan view showing a portion of the fabric illustrated in Fig. 4 and the relative positions of the needles, the locking points and the narrowing points with respect to each other and the fabric;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of the fabric of the stocking blank shown in Fig. 1 showing the narrowing points in operation;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of a knitting machine embodying the present invention for knitting the fabric of the stocking blank shown in Fig. 1;

Figs. 7 and 8 are vertical section views (on different planes) of a knitting machine embodying the present invention for knitting the fabric of the stocking blank shown in Fig. 1; and

Figs. 7a and 7b are fragmentary views in section illustrating portions of the machine shown in Fig. '7 on an enlarged scale.

The present invention may be applied to and carried out on flat knitting machines of the type customarily used for knitting the fabric for fullfashioned hosiery and for the purposes of illustration, the present invention has been shown and described with reference to the machines and methods disclosed in United States Patents Nos. 1,856,053 granted to me on April 26, 1932; 1,862,514 granted to me on June 7, 1932; and 2,066,682 granted to me on January 5, 1937, to which reference may be made for a more complete description of such machines and their operation. Such patents and the mechanisms described therein pertain particularly to the knitting of non-run fabrics for hosiery.

In Fig. l, the fabric for a full-fashioned stocking blank I is illustrated and exemplifies the type of fabric that may be knit in accordance with the present invention. The stocking blank I has a welt 2 and a leg 3 which may be knit in the usual manner preferably with non-run loops as described in my previously mentioned patents. A high heel or ankle 4 joins the leg to a foot consisting of a heel and instep 5, a foot sole and top 6 and a toe 1. Starting at the high heel or ankle d and extending to the toe l, the wales and courses forming the center portion of the fabric are knit with non-run loops and the wales and courses forming the side portions of the fabric are knit with plain loops.

The portions of the high level heel or ankle 4 knit with plain loops are indicated at 4a and the portion knit with non-run loops is indicated at 4b. In the heel and instep 5, the heel pockets 5a, which are widened and narrowed at their outer edges, are knit with plain loops and the instep 5b is knit with non-run loops. In the foot sole and top 6, the sole ta is knit with plain loops and the top 612 is knit with non-run loops. The toe i is knit entirely with plain loops.

The purpose of knitting the fabric in which certain courses have wales knit with plain loops and wales knit with non-run loops is to provide greater elasticity in the fabric than is obtained in a fabric in which the courses and wales are knit entirely with non-run loops so that a stocking made from such fabric will conform better to the ankle and foot of the wearer. Such fabrics have been known and used previously, but prior to the present invention, it was necessary to knit such a fabric on two machines. For example, in knitting such a fabric for a stocking the welt, the leg and the heel pockets were knit on a machine known as a legger. In the legger, the heel pockets were knit as strips extending from the leg in order that they might be widened and narrowed as required. The fabric knit on the legger was then transferred to a machine known as a footer on which the instep, the foot sole and top and the toe were knit. This was the manner in whichvthe stockings illustrated in my previous patents were knit and as a result of the heel pockets being knit in strips, they were in the form of loops or flaps in the finished blank.

In contrast to this, the present invention pro-- vides for knitting the entire stocking blank 5 in a continuous operation on one machine without a transfer operation. After the welt 2 and leg 3 have been knit in the usual manner asdescribed in my previous patents, the non-run bar 41 employed in such knitting is raised (see Figs. 7 and 7b) and a second non-run bar 8 is then lowered or placed in operating position. When the second non-run bar 8 is in operating position, a row of locking points 9' carried thereon are supported in position to cooperate with a group of needles in the center of a row of needles H) in a needle bar I l, as shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, in knitting the front of the ankle lb, the instep 52) and the top of the foot, 621 with non-run loops. The back of the ankle lla, the heel pockets 5a and the sole of the foot 5a are knit with plain loops on needles of the row of needles IE3 located at either side ofthe group of needles with which the locking points 9 cooperate.

The needles l0 which are mounted in a row on the needle bar I! are of the spring beard type and the needle bar H is reciprocated vertically and horizontally by the usual mechanism so that the needles ID will catch a thread and pull it through previously formed loops.

When the second non-run bar 8 is placed in its operating position, a set of narrowing points 12 is also placed in position to cooperate with the needles I!) at each endof the row of needles on which the fabric is beingknit. Each set of narrowing points I2 is carried by a narrowing finger 13 which is supported on a flat rod 14 by means of which the narrowing points l2 may be moved, as required, to theright or left (at right angles to the plane of Figs, 7 and 8 of the drawings) through the operation ofthe usual narrowing head mechanism which is wellknown in the art and need not be described in detail here- In addition to being spaced laterally from each end of the row of the locking points 9 on the non-run bar 8, the narrowing points 12; are also spaced transversely with respect to the locking points 9 so that they are positioned ahead of ,the locking points 9 and to the rear of the, needles ID, as indicated in Fig. 4c and also. in Figs. 2 and 3. The distance that the narrowing points, 12 are spaced to the rear of the needles. i3 should be equal to or slightly greater than. the length of loops that are drawn by the needles illduringthe knitting of this portion of. the fabric so as tov prevent the narrowing points from striking the needles or otherwise interfering with movement of the needles when loops are. being formed thereon.

In order to prevent the narrowing points 12 which. are to the rear of the needles 1% from damaging the fabric that has been knit as it leaves the needles, only alimited-number of the narrowing points 12 overlap or-are behind needles on which the fabric isbeing-knit. As' the fabric leaves. the needles andds taken upfrom theneedles by the usual take-up roll, the tension across (or coursewise of) the fabric is released and the edges of the fabric that has been knit have a tendency to curl inwardly as indicated at A in Fig. 4a. This inward curling of the fabric at its edges will generally reduce the width of the fabric at a point immediately behind the needles for a distance of from two to five needles. This will depend on the gauge and nature of the thread being knit. By taking advantage of this, the narrowing points 12 can be positioned behind so that they overlap and are behind the first two to five needles at the ends of the row of needles on which the fabric is being knit without striking the fabric as the knitting operations continue. In actual practice, I have found it satisfactory to have three of the narrowing points I2 behind or in overlapping relation to the three end needles ID on which the fabric is being knit.

Due to the narrowing points 12 being positioned to the rear of the needles l0, it is also necessary to move the needle bar H to the rear at times when the narrowing points are employed to pick up and transfer loops from the end needles Hi to adjoining needles during widening or narrowing of the fabric. The required movements of the needle bar II and the narrowing points in cooperation therewith are obtained by means of a suitably shaped narrowing cam 15 (see Fig. 7) and a suitably shaped press cam 68 (see Fig. 8) both of which are carried on the cam shaft ll of the machine. The cams l5 and 16 control movements of the narrowing points l2 and the needle bar H, respectively, and they are placed in operation during the knitting by the usual pattern chain mechanism provided in such machines for shifting the cam shaft at appropriate times.

Aside from the features mentioned above, the mechanism shown in Figs. 7 and 8 are in general well known in the art and will be described only briefly here. Referring to Fig. 7, the rods 14 carrying the narrowing fingers l3 and the non run bar 8 are both supported from a shaft iii. The shaft I8 is secured to an arm 19, which in turnis secured to a rock shaft 2f! that is mounted in hearings on the frame of the machine. The arm l9 and the shaft 28 are rocked to give the required vertical reciprocation of the narrowing points I2 (or the locking points 8, as the case may be) by a link 2i that is connected to the shaft 8. The link 2! is pivoted at 22 on a lifting lever 23 which is pivoted at 24 on the frame of the machine. The lifting lever 23 carries a cam follower 25 intermediate its ends which engages with the narrowing cam 15 whengthe narrowing points are in operation (or with a non-run cam when the locking points are in operation). The cam 15 is appropriately shaped to raise and lower the narrowing points I? to cooperate with the needles l0 and to pick up and transfer loops during the narrowing or widening of the fabric.

The horizontal movements of the needle oar H are produced by the mechanism shown in Fig. 8. When the needles ill cooperate with the narrowing points l2, the movement of the needles is controlled by the press cam 16 and when the group of needles in th center of theneedle bar cooperate with the locking points 9, the movement of the needles is controlled by a secondxpress cam in the usualmanner. A roller ZGthat is carried on a lever 21'. engages with the cam IS. The lever 21 is secured to arock shaft 28 andcarriesa pin 29 that engages with a needlebar rockerarm 30;

.of this is that The needle bar I l is comiected to the needle bar rocker arm 35 by a link 3| and is reciprocated horizontally by movement of the needle bar rocker arm 39 in response to movement of the lever 21 under the influence of the cam IS. The vertical movements of the needle bar H are transmitted thereto in the usual manner through the customary mechanisms which include the levers 32 and 33 shown in Fig. 8.

The sequence of steps in knitting portions of the fabric wher the selvage edges of the fabric are to be widened or narrowed as at the side edges of the heel pockets 511 will now be described with particular reference to Figs. 2a to 2b and 3a to 31), inclusive, and in considering these figures reference may also be had to Figs. 4 and 5.

First, a series of successive courses and wales of loops are formed with selected loops forming the wales in the center of the fabric being displaced from one wale in one course to another Wale in the succeeding course. The successive steps in forming the non-run loops in these courses are shown in Figs. 2a to 2h, inclusive. In these figures the needle It shown is one of the group of needles in the needle bar I l which cooperate with the the narrowing points 12 is indicated by dotted lines. The usual sinker head assembly 35, which includes a sinker 35, a divider 36 and a knockover bit 3'1, is shown in association with the needle it and these elements are operated in the usual manner. The fabric being knit is indicated at 39 and is moving in the direction indicated by the arrow.

Starting with Fig. 2c, the last row of loops, indicated at ii), is in position on the knocking over bits 37 and the needles i 8 are raised so that they extend through the loops 40. The locking points 9 and the narrowing points l2 are also raised at this time.

Upon movement of the thread carrier (not shown) th sinkers and dividers are advanced and the needle I 0 is lowered to engage the thread that is to form the new loops, as indicated in Fig. 2b. The locking points 2 and the narrowing points l2 are also lowered and at this time the locking points 9 are in front of the needles it] in position to engage the spring beards thereof. Upon further downward movement of the needles [0 and the locking points 9, the needles ID are brought into engagement with the locking points and presser edge of the sinker head assembly and the needles and the locking points pass through the loops 49, as shown in Fig. 2c. The needles Ill and the locking points 9 are then continued to be lowered and the locking points ii engage with and hold the loops 40 tight so that such loops are drawn out as the needles H! are moved to the rear as indicated in Figs. 2d and 2e. The result the loops 48 held by the locking points are drawn out in order that they will ex tend into the next course of the fabric when a new series of loops is formed.

The locking points 9 and the needles ill are then raised slightly, as shown in Fig. 2e so that the locking points with the drawn-out loops 4!) held thereon will clear the knock over bits and can be shifted transversely to transfer these loops each from one wale in one course to another. Wale in the succeeding course respectively as indicated in Fig. 4. After such transfer, the transferred loops are then knit into different wales of the fabric in the following course.

The locking points 9 and the needles it are then lowered once more, as indicated in Fig. 2f,

locking points 9 and the position of and the needles I0 are moved into engagement with the locking points as indicated in Fig. 2g to complete the transfer of the loops. The locki points and the needles are then raised to their initial heights as shown in Figs. 2h and 2a,.

It will be noted that during the operation of the locking points, the narrowing points l2 (indicated by the dotted lines) are moved with the locking points, but since they are spaced to the rear of the needles by a distance greater than the needle movement and they overlap or are behind only three needles, they do not strike or interfere with the movement of the needles ID and they do not hit the fabric.

After a desired number of courses have been formed in the foregoing manner, the selvage edges of the fabric are then widened or narrowed as desired. The successive steps that take place in narrowing or widening the selvage edges of the fabric are shown in Figs. 3a to 3h. In these figures, the needles It], the locking points 9 (indicated by dotted lines) and the narrowing points 12 (shown in full lines) are also shown in association with the usual sinker head assembly 34 and the fabric 39.

In Fig. 3a, the needles l8 and the locking points 9 and the narrowing points l2 are shown in a raised position. In order to position the needles to cooperate with the then moved to the rear as they are lowered so that the needles are behind the narrowing points, as

shown in Fig. 3b. The beards of the needles are then brought into engagement with the narrowing points (by the press cam [6) as the needles and the narrowing points continue to be lowered and as they pass through the loops 40a of the fabric that are on the needles, as shown in Figs. 3c and 3d. The loops 4064 are thus held on the narrowing points and the narrowing points are then raised slightly as indicated in Fig. 3e so that the loops Mia may be transferred inwardly or outwardly as the case may be. In transferring the loops, the narrowing points and th loops 40a held thereon are moved transversely with respect to the needles on which the loops were formed by the narrowing head mechanism as indicated in Fig. 5 and thereafter, the narrowing points are again lowered to place the loops 443a onto the new needles l0" which the narrowing points are now in front of, as shown in Figs. 3 and By. The narrowing points and the needles are then raised to their initial height as shown in Fig. 3h.

During the transfer of the loops at the edges of the fabric bythe narrowing points, the carrier does not operate so that a new course of the fabric is not being knitted at this time, but thereafter the knitting of courses of the fabric which have wales knit with thereof and wales knit with non-run loops in the center thereof is repeated before the next operation of the narrowing points.

The toe l of the stocking is to be knit entirely of plain loops and when it is knit, the non-run bar 8 is raised from its operating position and the knitting of the toe I is carried out in the usual manner.

For the purposes of illustration, I have shown. and described my invention in conjunction with the knitting of a specific article and specific mechanism for practicing my invention, but it will be understood that various changes in both the method and mechanism may be made, without departing from the scope of the invention, and therefore, I do not intend to limit myself ex cept by the appended claims.

narrowing points, they are plain loops at the sides inthe. center of saidrow of needles, a: set. of. narrowing points positioned for cooperation with. needles of said row of needles. spaced from each.

end; of the group of. needles, said; narrowing points; being points and in back of the needles, with; which the narrowing points engage, means for moving the needles through loop-forming movements in.

conjunction. with the locking points and means for. moving theqneedles through loop transferring movements withsaid narrowing points,

2... In a knitting machine of the character described. which has. a needle bar having. a row of needles mounted thereon and meohanisnr associatedwith said, needles for forming courses and walesof interconnected. loops of thread, the combination of a row of locking points positioned. tocooperatewith the-row of needles in the needle bar, said row of locking points being movable into and.outoisaidposition, a second row of look: ing. points positioned to cooperate with a group. of the needles in the center of the row of needles. in. the needle bar. and being movable into and out of operating position, a set of narrowing points spaced from each end or" the second row of. locking points, said narrowing points being positioned ahead'of the locking points andin back of needles in the row, of. needles spaced from each end or the group of needles with which the second. row of locking. points engage, cam means for moving the needles. and needle bar in cooperation with the first and second rows of. looking points, cam means for moving the needles and. the. needle bar. in cooperation with the narrowing points, cam means for. moving the first and, second rows of locking points in cooperation with the needles and cam means for moving the narrowing points in cooperation with the needles.

3. In a knitting machine of the character described. which has a needle needles mountedthereon and mechanisms associated therewith for. of interconnected loops of thread, the combination of a. row of locking points positioned for cooperation with a. group of needles in the center of the needle. bar, said row. of locking points being parallel. with and in front of the row of needles and narrowing points positioned, for cooperation with needles in said row of needles spaced from each end of said group of. needles, said narrowing points being positioned ahead of the row of locking points and in back. of, the needles with which they cooperate.

4. In a knitting. machine of the character described which has a needle bar having a row of needles mounted thereon and mechanisms associated therewith for forming courses and walesof interconnected loops of thread, the combination of a row of locking. points positioned for co.- operation with a group of needles in the center of the needle bar, said row of locking points being. parallel with and in front positioned. ahead, of. the locking bar having a rowv of.

forming courses andwales of the row of needles.

- scribed having andznarrowing points; positioned; for cooperation with-needles in said row oi needles spaced from; each end of saidgroup of needles, said narrowing points being positioned ahead of the locking points and, in back of not more than five of the needles on which loops are being formed.

5..In a knitting machine of the character described which has a needle bar having a row of needles mounted thereon and mechanisms associated=therewith for forming courses and wales of interconnected loops of thread, the combination of a row. of locking points positioned for cooperation with a group of needles in the center of the needle bar, said row of locking points being parallel with and in front of the row of needles, narrowing. points positioned for cooperation with needles in said row of needles spaced from. each end of said group of needles, said narrowing points being positioned ahead or the looking points and in back of not more than five oi the needles on whichloops are being formed and a common linkage for operating the locking points and the narrowing points.

6. In a knitting machine of the character dee supported thereon and mechanisms associated withthe needle bar and needles for formingv successive courses and wales of interconnected loops, the combination comprising means for knitting aseries of successive courses of the fabric with non-run loops, said means including a set of looking; points located on one side of and cooperating with selected, needles of the row of needles, a second set of locking points cooperating. with a.

number of the selected needles or the row of needles andsets. of narrowingv points positioned forv cooperation with needles at the endsof said row. of needles, said narrowing points being. located on the other side of the row of needles and being spaced from the locking points andmeans. to shift the row of. needles into positionfor. operation with the narrowing. points.

'7. In a. knitting machineof the character, describedhaving a needle. bar witha. row of needles. supported thereon andmechanisms associated with the needle bar and. needles. for forming. courses and. wales of interconnectedlo ps, the; combination as defined in claim 6 whereinthe narrowing points cooperate with not more. than. five of the needles at each end of the row of needles on. which fabric is beingknit.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,856,053 Graenz Apr. 26, 1932. 1,862,514 Graenz June '7, 1932 1,962,614, Peters June12, 1934 1,971,725 Muller Aug. 28, 1934 2,066,682 Graenz Jan. 5, 1937 2,107,985 Heinitz Feb. 8, 1938 2,270,853 Sheeler Jan. 2'7, 1942 2,330,681 Cobert Sept. 28, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 645,188 Germany May 24, 1937 711,933 Germany Oct. 9, 1941 a needle bar with a row of needles. 

